Staff

Conservation Staff

Bill Brown: Chief Conservator

William Brown has served as chief conservator at the Museum since 2001. He came to the NCMA in 1988 to complete his internship requirement for an M.A. and Certificate of Advanced Studies in Conservation from the State University College at Buffalo, N.Y. He received his diploma in 1989 and continued here as an assistant conservator, and then an associate conservator, before his promotion to chief conservator. Brown has a B.A. in studio arts and art history from the University of Virginia.

His responsibilities at the Museum include the management of the conservation department and the care and restoration of the collection. He has been awarded three IMLS grants in support of collection care and treatment, a Henry Luce Foundation and Hanes Family grant in support of the treatment of modern paintings and sculpture, ongoing support from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation for Conservation Fellowships, and other important gifts from private corporations and foundations for the purchase of conservation equipment for the treatment and research of the collection.

Noelle Ocon: Conservator

Since 1997 Noelle Ocon has served as the associate conservator of paintings at the Museum. She received her M.A. and Certificate of Advanced Studies in Conservation from the State University College at Buffalo and her B.A. in art history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

While working at the Museum, Ocon has concentrated on the examination, documentation,and conservation of the 17th-century Dutch and Flemish collection. Another main focus has been the implementation of technology, including infrared reflectography, x-radiography, and digital imaging.

Publications include research and co-authorship of a small publication in conjunction with the exhibition Like Father, Like Son—an art historical and technical research project comparing Frans Hals and Jan Hals and a companion handout, A Primer on Conservation, Restoration, Artist’s Materials and Techniques. Active in the conservation community, she has written articles for the Painting Conservation Catalogue: Re-stretching a Lined or Unlined Painting and The Use of Spray Guns and Air Brushes in the Application of Varnish.

Perry Hurt: Associate Conservator

Perry Hurt joined the staff of the Museum in 1998 as conservator for regional conservation services (RCS). In that capacity he conserved works of art for many institutions in the area, including the North Carolina Museum of History, Tryon Palace, Biltmore Estate, the NCCU Art Gallery, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Weatherspoon Art Museum. The RCS program ended in July 2008, and in September 2008 Hurt became associate conservator for the NCMA's permanent collection.

He received a B.F.A. in painting and printmaking, with a minor in art history, from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1983. He returned to VCU in 1985 to study art conservation. Starting in 1987 he worked on numerous mural projects in Washington, D.C., including the Lincoln Memorial, the U.S. Capitol building, and the Library of Congress. This work coincided with his private practice, Fine Art & Mural Conservation Studio, in Fredericksburg, Va.

In 2001 Hurt began researching the history of artists’ paint. His research has resulted in numerous lectures and tours, focusing on the contribution that paint materials have made to the history of art. One major manifestation of this work was the focus exhibition Revolution in Paint at the NCMA from September 2006 through February 2007, which complemented the concurrent major exhibition Monet in Normandy.

Stacey Kirby: Conservation Technician

Stacey Kirby joined the staff of Museum as a conservation technician in January 2009, bringing experience as an artist, studio manager, and conservation technician. She previously worked as a technician in the textile conservation lab at the North Carolina Museum of History and with the rare book collections at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill libraries from 1997 to 2000. She was the papermaking studio manager at the Women’s Studio Workshop in Rosendale, N.Y., and has taught and assisted classes at Penland School of Crafts, Bard College, and the Kansas City Art Institute, among others. Kirby shows her artwork nationally and is a recipient of prestigious local and national artist residencies and grants. She received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a double major in studio art and visual communications in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

As the NCMA’s conservation technician, she focuses on assisting conservators with treatment of the collection, maintenance of the outdoor sculpture, photo documentation, exhibit maintenance, and preventive conservation. She also collaborates to prepare objects and textiles in the African, Egyptian, and New World collections for exhibition.

Nancy Allred: Office Manager

Nancy Allred has a B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has worked at the NCMA since April 1998. Earlier she worked in administrative support for various departments at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also has experience as an independent contractor responsible for hiring and coordinating talent, locations, crew, and information for film and video productions. She is a former printmaker who now paints in nontoxic water mediums.

Allred offers administrative support to the NCMA Conservation Center through management of conservation budgets and databases. Serving as the main contact for the Conservation Center, she communicates with the public regarding conservation information and referrals. She also works with the staff to facilitate conservation-related public programming and assist with general maintenance and documentation of the NCMA collection.